Relocating out of Allegheny County -- which direction for best commute by part public/cycle? (Pittsburgh: new home, tax)

[gg]

I need to start to plan my move and would like to keep working in East Liberty. I would also like most of my commute on a bicycle. I don't know what route to take?

1. If I went to Washington County can you take a bike on the T?
2. If I go North to Cranberry, is there a way to get into the city via public transportation to the city and then take my bike? That is too far to ride to work on a bike the whole way.
3. Butler (Rt. 28 section)? I think that is out of the question. Just too far.
4. Westmorland? Is it possible to get to East Liberty from there somehow?

It saddens me to have to move, but the tax outlay is going to be too high for me. Even if I greatly downsize, I don't like living in a dump, so I will fix the home up and they will come and get me anyway. What options do I have?

[Stijl Council]

Route 14F on Westmoreland Co. Public Transit would get you to the Busway or thereabouts. Of course, you're depending on public transit to not disappear if you're moving depending on taking it...

[gg]

Originally Posted by Stijl Council

Route 14F on Westmoreland Co. Public Transit would get you to the Busway or thereabouts. Of course, you're depending on public transit to not disappear if you're moving depending on taking it...

Yeah, the public transportation part is a tough one, but I do have a car with a bike rack. I know people drive to Millvale and ride into the city. I don't mind riding my bike up to 15 miles each way for my commute, but it needs to be somewhat bike friendly. I consider the city of Pittsburgh bike friendly, but most of the South Hills isn't. I can ride a bike to Sewickley on a bike friendly route for example, but don't know of a way to get to a place like Springdale. Just giving a feel for what I consider bike friendly.

Probably the best option would be drive my car to a point and ride my bike the rest of the way. Where is the closest point from East Liberty to out of this county?

[WhoIsStanwix?]

Originally Posted by h_curtis

Yeah, the public transportation part is a tough one, but I do have a car with a bike rack. I know people drive to Millvale and ride into the city. I don't mind riding my bike up to 15 miles each way for my commute, but it needs to be somewhat bike friendly. I consider the city of Pittsburgh bike friendly, but most of the South Hills isn't. I can ride a bike to Sewickley on a bike friendly route for example, but don't know of a way to get to a place like Springdale. Just giving a feel for what I consider bike friendly.

Probably the best option would be drive my car to a point and ride my bike the rest of the way. Where is the closest point from East Liberty to out of this county?

I think Northern Westmoreland or Armstrong counties would be decent options to get to Millvale. I also think somewhere in Butler County would be a possible way to get there, if you're talking about driving to the area with your bike and driving.

[ML North]

Transit to and from Cranberry is unfortunately not an option. There was one bus (13K maybe?) that ran up to Wexford, but I couldn't make it work for me.

[Mr. Mon]

Originally Posted by h_curtis

I need to start to plan my move and would like to keep working in East Liberty. I would also like most of my commute on a bicycle. I don't know what route to take?

1. If I went to Washington County can you take a bike on the T?
2. If I go North to Cranberry, is there a way to get into the city via public transportation to the city and then take my bike? That is too far to ride to work on a bike the whole way.
3. Butler (Rt. 28 section)? I think that is out of the question. Just too far.
4. Westmorland? Is it possible to get to East Liberty from there somehow?

It saddens me to have to move, but the tax outlay is going to be too high for me. Even if I greatly downsize, I don't like living in a dump, so I will fix the home up and they will come and get me anyway. What options do I have?

1) All PAT buses have bicycle racks. However, PAT does not operate outside of Allegheny County, that that's a problem unless you bike to a park and ride in the County.

2) It may take another 5-10 years but the surrounding counties will also be required to reassess. Look for it to be a statewide requirement. Also, the growing non-Allegheny suburbs are having to raise their millage rates to pay for the infrastructure required to handle the influx of new homes. This is going to get worse if State money continues to dry up.

[speagles84]

Originally Posted by h_curtis

Yeah, the public transportation part is a tough one, but I do have a car with a bike rack. I know people drive to Millvale and ride into the city. I don't mind riding my bike up to 15 miles each way for my commute, but it needs to be somewhat bike friendly. I consider the city of Pittsburgh bike friendly, but most of the South Hills isn't. I can ride a bike to Sewickley on a bike friendly route for example, but don't know of a way to get to a place like Springdale. Just giving a feel for what I consider bike friendly.

Probably the best option would be drive my car to a point and ride my bike the rest of the way. Where is the closest point from East Liberty to out of this county?

I would think the closest point to East Liberty would either be New Kensington or Murrysville. I'm not sure how you could bike from either of those places, and coming from FC to New Ken would not be an ideal place to live either.

[gg]

Originally Posted by speagles84

I would think the closest point to East Liberty would either be New Kensington or Murrysville. I'm not sure how you could bike from either of those places, and coming from FC to New Ken would not be an ideal place to live either.

Ouch. It doesn't get any worse than those options. How far do you have to go down the bike path to DC to get out of Allegheny County? I would ride further if I could be on a relaxing trail. Then you can listen to some music and really enjoy the ride.

[greg42]

Originally Posted by h_curtis

Ouch. It doesn't get any worse than those options. How far do you have to go down the bike path to DC to get out of Allegheny County? I would ride further if I could be on a relaxing trail. Then you can listen to some music and really enjoy the ride.

About 15-20 miles out of downtown on the trail looks like, plus there's still a gap in the trail at W. Homestead (Sandcastle) you'd have to ride around. Since you're not going to downtown you could work out a route once you get to the Hot Metal or maybe Glenwood, not sure. At least by that distance you'd be close to something in Westmoreland. I don't think the trail is actually in that county yet (I'm not sure which county it goes into, I think it may not ever be Westmoreland).

Here's the info on the Lenzner commuter from Warrendale/Cranberry: Lenzner Coach Lines | Pittsburgh Commuter Service There's a good parking lot at Warrendale, but I don't see how you can get your bike on that bus. You could call and ask if they'd let you put it underneath in the luggage area? Not sure they would because that would add time which would be an issue leaving downtown especially. Otherwise you can connect to PAT but you need to be able to leave downtown by 6pm to make this bus work.

Your choices will get slimmer after the PAT cutback I'm sure.

Westmoreland runs buses that use the East Busway; I wonder if you could take their bus only as far as E. Liberty? I don't know why not, unless for some reason they don't let people out there. http://www.westmorelandtransit.com/

Of course none of that may work if you are working odd hours, which I thought you were. Then the only thing that works is the bike trail.

[Lobick]

I think, inadvertently, Curtis is seeing this thread (which he started no doubt as some childish attempt to assume his familiar martyr persona) evolve into a very real illustration of why, (1) despite higher tax rate so many people want to live either within the city or the close suburbs; (2) the continuing folly of suburban sprawl; and (3) the very real necessity of increased public transportation options and their requisite funding.